PROGRESS IN TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS UNDER TITLE III OF THE GEORGE-BARDEN ACT FISCAL YEARS 1959-1964 (Estimates included for fiscal year 1966) REPORT OF PROGRESS The need for educating highly skilled technicians was first recognized and implemented by Federal legislation with the passage of title VIII of the National Defense Education Act of 1958. Congress, through the act, directed the Office of Education to administer grants of funds to the States to be matched dollar for dollar to train highly skilled technicians in occupations requiring scientific knowledge in fields necessary for national defense. Federal funds paid to a State under this title are used to help defray expenditures for surveys, salaries, equipment, supplies, teacher education, and certain other program costs. The training is conducted under the direction of the State boards for vocational education in accordance with their respective State plans. The preparatory programs and extension courses are offered in public vocational and technical schools, technical institutes, community and junior colleges, State universities, and secondary schools. In terms of number of persons served, participating institutions, breadth of offerings, and quality of offerings, the program has grown rapidly since the implementation of the act in fiscal 1959. The success of the program was recognized by Congress and title VIII was made a permanent part of the Vocational Education Act in 1963 as title III of the George-Barden Act. Included in the achievements of the program in fiscal 1966 are the following highlights (estimates) : More than 300,000 adults and youth were enrolled in institutions offering technical education. Programs were offered in electronic, electrical, mechanical design, chemical, metallurgical, civil and construction, mechanical production, instrumentation, nuclear, and plastics technology; and in electronic data processing, computer programing. In 1966 there were 1,000 schools offering technical training, compared to 262 in 1959. More than 175,000 persons enrolled in extension courses designed to upgrade the skills of adult technical workers. Nearly 100,000 students were enrolled in 2-year postsecondary preparatory programs, and more than 25,000 students were enrolled in secondary programs. Enrollments of women in preparatory technical education programs have increased from 473 in 1961 to 10,000 in 1966. Most of the women enrollees are in electronic and data processing programs. Forty-nine States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, have reported graduates of vocational preparatory programs. A total of 16,347 completed preparatory curriculums. Of these graduates 3,429 (21 percent) continued their formal education and 1,028 (6 percent) joined the Armed Forces and 598 were not available for other reasons. Of the 15,000 graduates available for placement in fiscal year 1965, 70 percent were placed in the technical field for which they were trained and 11 percent in a field related to their training. Only 2.5 percent were known to be unemployed. The average starting salary paid to graduates of 2-year postsecondary preparatory programs was almost $5,000 a year and the graduates of high school programs, $3,700 a year. V. Enrollment in secondary and postsecondary preparatory school, fiscal years 1962, 1963, and 1964 programs by kind of 4,478 6, 140 7, 209 1,227 1, 572 2,031 5, 705 7,712 9,240 2,828 5,976 4, 505 5, 004 8, 171 7, 724 7, 832 14, 147 12, 229 4, 236 4, 349 5,959 1,332 2, 432 2,763 5, 568 6,781 8,722 959 1,644 2,414 2,927 2, 567 3, 117 3,886 4, 211 5, 531 97 932 468 5,795 6, 011 7, 230 5,892 6,943 7,698 356 367 91 21, 902 32, 222 42, 021|22, 258 32, 589 42, 112 1,476 2, 654 6,229 1,476 2,654 6,229 380 597 709 454 851 818 74 254 109 13, 028 19, 662 20, 755 40, 043 56, 226 71, 824 53, 071 75, 888 92, 579 59-316-66-pt. 1- -20 |